The winners at the North Kesteven Community Champion Awards in 2019.
Over 30 finalists have been selected across 12 categories for the 2020 Community Champion Awards as North Kesteven’s communities continue to go above and beyond to help one another.
Almost 100 nominations were put forward before being whittled down to 31 by a panel representing the community-minded businesses that sponsor the awards, which are organised by North Kesteven District Council.
Nominations included people making hand sanitiser, face shields and NHS scrubs and rallying community responses to the coronavirus crisis.
Two new ‘pop-up’ categories have been added to this year’s event in recognition of local responses to the pandemic.
The Lincolnite is among the sponsors for this year’s event, which has transferred to an online format and will be held virtually on October 7 – summaries of there work of the finalists can be seen here, where nominations for the 2021 awards can also be made.
North Kesteven District Council leader Richard Wright said: “I never cease to be amazed by the amount of wonderful voluntary work undertaken quietly, tirelessly, continually and unassumingly by so many, but this year the people, communities and businesses of North Kesteven have surpassed themselves.”
The shortlist was whittled down to 31 by a panel representing the community-minded businesses that sponsor the awards.
The finalists
Community Spirit
Andy Mellett Brown, Heckington – he advanced the village magazine and masterminded a twice weekly community radio station and local food bank in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He also led a team of volunteers to help villagers.
Jason Snape, Witham St Hughs – he spearheaded play park renovations to save around £20,000 of public expenditure, as well as organising and rethinking VE Day celebrations. He set up a coronavirus response group and supported surrounding villages with this
Ruth Sheeran, Skellingthorpe – she organised a walk to raise money for pancreatic cancer, a pop-up tea room in aid of St Barnabas, collected for a cause that enables dream weddings for people close to life’s end, and took hot drinks and home baked treats to Lincoln’s homeless despite her own health challenges
Community Spirit – Coronavirus response group
Martin and Timberland Emergency Support – under the leadership of Lindsay Gresham Fulton, 40-plus volunteers assisted the two villages with vital food and medical deliveries, phone calls for the isolating and the collection of food and household items for onward donation, as well as assisting neighbouring villages
Holdingham Helpers – the group formed by Robert Oates quickly grew to in excess of 40 volunteers, collecting and delivering shopping and medicines, as well as making calls and checking on the welfare of over 100 isolating individuals. The group plans to provide ongoing support for the Sleaford community
Ruskington COVID-19 Volunteers – up to 200 volunteers rallied to Zoe Ireland’s call to support those who were isolating at home, with routes to ensure the entire village of 6,000 people was covered with the supply of groceries and prescriptions, pet care, letter posting and speaking with them
Community Spirt – Individual coronavirus response
Dale Hardy, North Hykeham – the headteacher at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy pioneered a response that supplied 4,000 faec shields to hospitals, police, care homes, GPs and pharmacies. The school kitchen provided meals to the over 70s, which were delivered by the school minibus
Tracey Richardson, Osbournby – she galvanised residents into activities by sharing much sought-after flour for a baking challenge, crafting aeroplane model kits and creating ‘Where’s Wenda?’ and VE Day bunting-making challenges to inspire community cohesion
Zoe Ireland, Ruskington – she rallied volunteers and co-ordinated Ruskington’s response and has been available 24/7 in case of emergencies throughout the lockdown. Having united volunteers as a solid group, she is now planning a big party for once it is all over to maintain the sense of togetherness and support created within the village
Good Neighbour
Alan Germon, North Hykeham – described as ‘worth more than a bar of gold’, Alan’s neighbourly response included planting wildflowers, changing lightbulbs, hammering in nails, offering envelopes, electrical advice and resolving any dilemma. He also made daily trips to help a stranded devout nun to attend Mass every day for a month
Janice Batchelor, Ruskington – she supported her neighbour through a self-declared ‘dark period’ despite her own personal problems during lockdown. Janice’s weekly shopping, prescription collection, dog walking and general cheerful disposition helped to support her clinically vulnerable neighbours
Lizzy Truman, Great Hale – on the first night of lockdown, Lizzy dropped a note round to everyone’s house which led to her shopping, cutting lawn, walking dogs and generally caring for all the elderly close by. She’s described as a ‘real angel’
Contribution to a Better Environment
Carol Hubbard, Ruskington – Carol is reckoned to have personally removed a skip’s worth of rubbish locally and is out in all weathers armed with a litter picker and black bags. She has lobbied supermarkets about plastic packaging and offers lifts to people to ensure the most environmentally efficient outcomes
Nancy Baker, North Hykeham – Nancy, aged 10, has patrolled parts of North Hykeham with a litter picker for a couple of years. She posts on Twitter as No Litter Nancy to raise awareness of the problem and has made little videos about litter and climate change
Tomas Dickson, North Hykeham – Tomas carries out litter picking throughout North and South Hykeham, as well as testing water quality. He is also active with River Witham Rivercare groups, Freshwater Watch, Hykeham in Bloom, Sleaford Navigation Trust and Lincolnshire Wildlife and Rivers trusts
Contribution to Arts & Culture
Lee Rooke, Sleaford – the organist and director of music at St Denys’ Church assembled a virtual choir in response to lockdown and compiled a four-part accompaniment to the vicar’s YouTube services. He contributes to the weekly service and arranges special and spectacular events
Mrs Smith’s Cottage Volunteers, Navenby – the 12 dedicated volunteers were critical in the restoration and reopening of the historic cottage as a museum. They invested around 500 hours from January to August and continued their work through front of house, events, earning, archiving, gardening and other essential functions
North Disney History & Archaeology Group – the group researched, unearthed and exhibited aspects of the locality’s important Iron Age and Roman archaeology, as well as uncovering previously undiscovered information about the area
Contribution to Community Safety
Andy Marchant, Branston – Andy pioneered the village’s established Emergency Plan group and initiatives of broader crime-busting community safety. After being stranded abroad when lockdown began, he made it home to instigate the village’s coronavirus response from quarantine.Volunteer numbers soared over 300 and a food bank was also set up
Contribution to Health & Wellbeing
Food Voucher Scheme, Branston – five villagers came together three years ago to address a social issue affecting vulnerable school children to ensure they were well-fed in school holidays. Through tireless fundraising they were able to support 43 children initially, growing to 53 and extending to summer, Easter, Christmas and half-term holidays
Karen Melville, Helpringham – aligned with a national drive to provide essential supplies into the NHS for coronavirus care, Karen co-ordinated the North Kesteven response to the ‘For the Love of Scrubs’ initiative. Scores of local sewers made PPE from donated or self-sourced fabric
Rainbow Stars, Sleaford – the five-year-old group was set up as a support group primarily for parents and carers of children with autism, Aspergers Syndrome and ADHD. It recently expanded its offer with an open-to-all hub, helping 1,500 families. The support network offered food parcels and even Father’s Day presents during lockdown, on top of the regular trips, courses, meetings and playdates
Contribution to Sport
Angela Pettit, Bracebridge Heath – Angela has been involved in all aspects of swimming, life-saving, teaching, examining and organising for 45 years. Forty of those years have been with the Lincoln Asthma Swimming Group which she set up. She also organises the weekly Saturday group sessions for the Royal Life Saving Society for which she is branch chair
Graham Park, Heckington – inspiring young players and new coaches through Sleaford Town Juniors FC for more than 12 years. He set up the Mini Greens for four to five year olds and a Coaches for Tomorrow programme to motivate teenagers. Now with another club, he continues to offer help and advice
Samantha Elmsley, Sleaford – gymnastics coach Sammi hasn’t let lockdown get in the way of her passion to support young gymnasts, lending equipment to use at home, giving free online Zoom coaching twice weekly, and even devoting entire weekends to get them to far away competitions
Community Business
Green Stores, Bassingham – store owners Tracey and Michael were at the heart of the village’s coronavirus response, making sure everyone is well provided for. This include setting up free home deliveries and a new payment system, extending opening hours, running the Post Office seven days a week and offering encouragement to locals
Manor Farm Shop, Leasingham – the shop has excelled under Gill and Debbie Burton’s leadership to provide food for the village and beyond. It has also worked with the village pub on hot meal delivery.
Salted Orange, North Hykeham – company owner Sam Owen used his onsite distillery to make hand sensitiser given freely to schools, care homes and healthcare settings. He distilled gin in support of AgeUK and set up a a hot meal delivery of three daily meals, seven days a week for £20 to anyone over 65, which catered for 110,000 people in the first 87 days
Longstanding Contribution to a Group or Organisation
Andrew Ingham, Heckington – over 14 years from case worker to regional representative, Andy has made a fundamental difference to the outcomes and financial fortunes of veterans as a member of the Armed Forces charity SSAFA. He has continued as a case worker throughout, raising £111,000 to meet the needs of 120 clients
Angela Pettit, Bracebridge Heath – also nominated for Contribution to Sport (see above)
Delphine Norton, Ruskington – she has been involved in the support of scouting for 29 years as a scout leader in Holland, Germany, Wales and locally running both Ruskington’s cubs and beavers packs and train future junior leaders.
Young Achiever
George Woodward, North Hykeham – after joining LIVES as a fundraiser a year ago, George marked his 18th birthday with his first responder’s shift. While furloughed from his job as a lifeguard, he invested his time logging 12 hour daily shifts and assisted more than 100 people, responding to medical emergencies and paying his own petrol costs to do so
Nancy Baker, North Hykeham – also nominated for Contribution to a Better Environment (see above)
Tomas Dickson, North Hykeham – also nominated for Contribution to a Better Environment (see above)
The awards are only made possible thanks to the generosity of these community-minded businesses: Duncan & Toplis; GLL/BETTER; Lincs Inspire; Branston Ltd; Lindum Group; Ringrose Law; Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant; the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire; Your Local Lincs Magazine; Washingborough Hall Hotel and the support of the Sleaford Standard, The Lincolnite, BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Peachy Events.
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Two Lincolnshire criminals sentenced to a combined total of 40 years in prison for sickening sex offences against children were among those jailed in Lincolnshire in February.
The Lincolnite‘s court reporters cover all the biggest cases heard in courts in our region every day.
Here’s a round up of signifiant cases resulting in prison sentences in and near the county.
In addition, William Clawson was arrested this month and recalled to prison after a fourth time on the run from police.
Timothy Mawer
Tim Mawer, 52, committed 62 sexual offences on 13 different boys in an 18-year period. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Former Lincoln area badminton coach Timothy Mawer, 52, was jailed for 20 years after grooming and then carrying out “vile” sexual assaults on young boys over an 18-year period.
Pawel Relowicz was found guilty of the murder and rape of Libby Squire. | Photo: Humberside Police
Butcher and serial sex offender Pawel Relowicz, who raped and murdered University of Hull student Libby Squire, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years in prison. Her body was found near Grimsby Docks.
Martin Ashmore was jailed for six years and nine months. | Photo: Nottinghamshire Police
Sleaford man Martin Ashmore, 58, was described by Nottinghamshire Police as a “manipulative and predatory” offender after being jailed for six years and nine months for indecently assaulting two girls in the early to mid-1990s.
A BMW driver who caused a double fatal collision when she overtook a line of traffic at an estimated 80mph and struck an oncoming vehicle head-on was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
This isn’t the first time Claire Parker has been in prison as she was previously jailed for hosting dog fights.
Daniel Noddings was jailed for 40 months. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A driver caused devastating injuries to a Lincolnshire police officer when she went to help him after he was found slumped over his steering wheel in a supermarket car park. Daniel Noddings, 37, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and four months.
Svajunas Navagruckas was jailed for over two years. | Photo: HMRC
The ringleader of an illegal cigarettes smuggling plot at a Lincoln farm was jailed. Svajunas Navagruckas, 51, was one of HMRC’s most wanted tax fugitives and was sentenced to 28 months in prison, three years after he flew to Lithuania to avoid the investigation.
Mark Elsworth was jailed for 18 months, but is likely to be released immediately because of the length of time he was remanded in custody. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Mark Elsworth was jailed for 18 months for terrifying his neighbours with his behaviour, but he is likely to be released immediately because of the length of time he was remanded in custody.
There have been 1,005 new coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and 26 COVID-related deaths so far this week — compared to 867 cases and 40 deaths this time last week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 113 new cases in Lincolnshire, 20 in North Lincolnshire and 18 in North East Lincolnshire.
On Friday, four deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, two in North East Lincolnshire and -1 in North Lincolnshire. Fluctuations in data are usually due to some deaths in those areas being reallocated to other regions across the UK or a miscount. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, bringing the total so far this week to 11, a drop from 20 last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 8,523 to 4,163,085, deaths rose by 345 to 122,415 while COVID first jab numbers hit over 19 million.
This week has seen Greater Lincolnshire overtake the England average infection rate by seven cases per 100,000.
Six of the nine districts have seen an increase in their infection rates since Wednesday but health bosses expect to see numbers going up and down, so it isn’t too concerning.
The England average has continued to fall over the past week.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates over the last week up to February 26:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 19 to Feb 26. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
Local health bosses said there are no COVID mutations of concern in Lincolnshire currently, but they have a plan if new variants enter the county.
The plan is called ‘Operation Eagle’ and would include surge testing and contact tracing to find where the variant first appeared in Lincolnshire.
The Kent mutation is present in the majority of cases in Lincolnshire and is known to be around 70% more transmissible, but not more dangerous.
Variants of concern include the South African mutation which can spread more rapidly and vaccines might not work quite as well against it.
However, there is no evidence it causes more serious illness for the majority of those who come into contact with it either.
In national news, the UK’s coronavirus reproduction number – or R number – remains between 0.6 and 0.9 from last week, meaning for every 10 people infected, they will pass COVID on to between six and nine others.
Vaccinating people in order of age is the fastest way to cut COVID-19 deaths in the next phase of the roll-out, say experts advising the UK government.
People in their 40s will be next, once the current phase is completed, not key workers. Here’s when you could get your coronavirus vaccine.
Some of the first people to check into quarantine hotels have had their first taste of freedom upon their release today after self-isolating for 11 nights.
From last Monday, UK and Irish nationals returning to England from a “red list” country deemed at high risk for COVID-19 have had to check into quarantine hotels.
The 15 areas of England to have vaccinated the lowest proportion of adults against COVID-19 are all in London.
In some boroughs, including Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham, just one in five adults have received a single dose of a vaccine, according to NHS England data up to 25 February.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, February 26
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
53,205 cases (up 151)
37,581 in Lincolnshire (up 113)
7,989 in North Lincolnshire (up 20)
7,635 in North East Lincolnshire (up 18)
2,065 deaths (up six)
1,517 from Lincolnshire (up four)
299 from North Lincolnshire (down one)
249 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)
of which 1,216 hospital deaths (up three)
754 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
420 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)
4,163,085 UK cases, 122,415 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
After roadside littering reared its ugly head in Lincolnshire again, councils across the county appear to be passing the buck, without taking any action.
The issue was raised by The Lincolnite reader Rebecca Dunn, who went to clean up with her friends part of the roadside on the Western Bypass in Lincoln, because she said it was “starting to look like a landfill site.”
Some of the litter that was found at the roadside dated back 17 years to 2004, suggesting that the area hadn’t been cleaned in years.
A can dating back to 2004 was found at the side of the road. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
Rebecca had told The Lincolnite that she was consistently asking West Lindsey District Council about roadside cleaning for over two years, but nothing was done about it.
She was eventually given a response, which claimed that funds are no longer available for litter picking on roads over a 50mph speed limit — the bypass has a 60/70mph limit depending if it’s dual or single carriageway.
An alarming amount of bags filled by roadside litter on just one stretch of Lincoln’s roads. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
When asked about this, a spokesperson for WLDC said: “Working on high speed roads is a real challenge for us, wherever possible we will work with partners to allow our staff to work safely.
“For instance, we litterpick dual-carriageways at the same time as lane closures are in place for grass cutting operations.”
Rebecca and some of her friends went to clean up the roadside. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
The council added: “We are aware of reports of litter on this section of the highway and have been working in collaboration with the Highways Authority to get the trees cut back.
“Now that work is complete it will allow us access to the laybys to undertake litterpicking work.”
West Lindsey District Council also said that there is no specific part of the street cleansing budget, of which we weren’t given the total figure, dedicated to the stretch of road in question.
However, the council said that anyone with specific issues regarding street cleansing should call 01427 676676.
“Starting to look like a landfill site.” | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
The Lincolnite also approached Lincolnshire County Council for a response about this, who declined to comment and called it a “district matter”.
Part of the A46 ring road around Lincoln is the responsibility of Highways England, while others are under County Council management.
In response to our original story, many people pointed out that a similar issue is arising on roadsides in North Kesteven.
North Kesteven District Council were also asked to comment on the problem, but did not reply.